Seasons
by ihaveabigstick
Summary: A lifetime is divided into years and years into seasons. A short story about Draco and Ginny's relationship and the seasons.
1. Chapter 1: Winter

**Seasons **

–

Winter wishing everyday

of long time passing

under gray,

Spring time comes up fast

and free like a song of

fantasy,

Summer riding up on high

with the

warmth of Spring's goodbye,

Autumn falls with browns

and golds

and seem to enter in your soul.

\- Denise Green.

–

**WINTER**

Ginny Weasley gently tucked her flaming red hair out of her face and took a quick sip of her tea before setting the steaming mug back on the table beside her. She quickly buried herself back in her book, quickly pulling herself away from the small café she was sitting in. The occasional sound broke through to her mind: a harsh cough, the laughing child sitting at the table next to her, the tinkle of the bell signaling someone's entrance to the café, but she easily ignored the distractions. Ginny's novel was far more interesting to her than the ordinary life passing by around her. It wasn't until someone slumped down in the booth behind her, rattling her out of her book, that she glanced around. How long had she been reading? Minutes? Hours? She could hardly remember finishing her scone. The person in the booth behind her let out a sigh and threw their belongings on the table. Ginny heard the familiar rustling of mittens and hat being pulled off and thrown on the table.

Sighing, Ginny shook her head to clear her thoughts and attempted to sink back into her book. Abruptly she was interrupted again by the person behind her ordering from the heavy-set waitress. Tea. He wanted tea. The same tea she ordered. Ginny glanced at her mug, noticing it had stopped steaming. The waitress, Emma, jotted down a few notes, smiled flirtatiously and flounced off to get the man's tea. He huffed as she left and started rifling through a newspaper. The sound of a newspaper was unique to Ginny. It's brief life as reading material made the paper feel thin and wispy. A book held substance and age.

Ginny turned back to her book again, desperate to find out if Nell had survived or not, but, once again, she was rudely interrupted by the man behind her tearing sections out of the newspaper.

"Excuse me," she said harshly, "Would you mind being quiet? Some of us are trying to read."

"Then maybe," he snapped back, "Some of us should go to a library, not a coffee shop." Ginny's jaw dropped at his insolence and she stood up to face him. Seeing him made her freeze. She gaped at him, shocked to see him out in public. He hadn't changed a bit. Still tall and lean, Draco Malfoy rose to speak to her, the familiar smirk searing across his face. Once he got to his feet he said softly, "Ah, Ginny Weasley. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously.

"I had a taste for some tea," he said offhandedly.

"No," she shook her head, "I mean, what are you doing _here_."

"I know what you meant," he said coldly. He slumped back in his seat. "What am I doing in Muggle London?" Ginny gave him a look as if to say, 'duh?!' and he sighed. "I wanted to get away from work. Can you blame me? It's the season of money and spending and I'm exhausted."

"You detest Christmas that much?" Ginny asked, surprised.

Draco glanced up at her, thinking for a moment, before gesturing for her to sit across from him. She hesitantly grabbed her cup of tea before sliding into the booth across from him. "I don't hate Christmas," he said softly. "In fact, I loved Christmas when I was younger. But since I took over my father's business, Christmas has become about parties and bonuses." He shrugged, "Not the ideal holiday mentality."

"So you came to a café in the middle of Muggle London?" she asked, still surprised.

He smirked, "If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."

Ginny resisted the urge to smile. She hadn't seen him, really seen him, in years. After some quick calculations she thought he must be twenty-nine; he was only a year older than her. She vaguely recalled seeing him at a few ministry functions four or five years ago and maybe in passing at other social events, but she hadn't really looked at him since they were at Hogwarts. His silver blond hair still hung in his blue eyes and those pointed cheekbones seemed etched along the contour of his face. He had wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. _Those are laugh lines,_ Ginny made a mental note.

"And you?" he asked softly, interrupting her interrogatory stare.

"Me?" she asked, confused.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh," she glanced down at the cup of tea in her hands and the book resting beside her on the table. "I came to read." Draco looked down at her book before leaning across the table to pick it up. Ginny's thoughts raced through her head. "Be careful," she said before she could stop herself. He gave her a puzzled look, hand poised to open the cover. "It belonged to my grandmother," she said slowly, blushing.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging her request, before flipping the book open to the front page. "Dickens," he said quietly. "Though not one of his most famous."

"You know Charles Dickens?" Ginny asked, baffled.

Draco shrugged offhandedly, "Who doesn't?"

Ginny snorted, "Don't be a prat." She immediately slapped her hand to her mouth, "I'm sorry, that was rude." To her surprise, Draco chuckled. She was taken aback to see an actual smile on his face. "Are you laughing at me?" she huffed. She grabbed her book from his hands and stood up, ready to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

"No, I wasn't laughing at you," he said, he was still smiling. The laugh lines around his eyes seemed so natural. It caught Ginny off guard. She stared down at him, inquisitively. "It's just," he paused to chuckle a little again, "I didn't realize how much I've missed Hogwarts until you called me a prat as if we were back in school."

"Oh," she said softly. He dropped his grip on her wrist and she turned to face him again. He was still laughing at her. She raised an eyebrow threateningly and said quietly, "If you'd like, I'm sure I can come up with a few more choice descriptors for you."

Draco slowly stopped chuckling before glancing at his watch, "As nice as that sounds, I'm afraid I have to go. I have a meeting." He stood up, grabbing his heavy wool cloak, gloves and hat. "Oddly enough, it was good to see you Weasley."

"Ginny," she said quickly. He gave her an odd look and she shrugged, "You can call me Ginny if you'd like."

"Alright," he said slowly. "I suppose you can call me Draco as well."

"If I'd like?" she teased. Draco smirked at her again and nodded cautiously. "I'll see you around," she said slowly. He nodded again and threw a small handful of money on the counter before saying goodbye to the waitress and leaving. He glanced back at her once before the door closed and Ginny could see her confusion mirrored in his face. What an odd afternoon.

–

December 18th was not a good day. Ginny huffed through the snow, her calves and thighs aching from the effort of walking through so much snow. If she had gone Christmas shopping three weeks ago, she wouldn't have to deal with this mess. The street lamps started turning on one by one and Ginny glanced at her watch. It was already 3:30. How was she supposed to get all this done and get back to the Burrow before Hermione's baby shower at five? She sighed, riffling through the one bag of presents she had bought. Broom wax for Harry, some chocolates for Ron, a few bath soaps for her mum and an old Muggle toaster for her dad. Looking up, she caught sight of a used bookstore across the way and she walked over happily. The perfect place to find Hermione's Christmas present.

The store was decked out in holiday colors. Tinsel and garland adorned every door way and lined the shelves. Ignoring the best sellers on display, she immediately headed to the back of the store where she knew the classic literature would be kept. Almost instinctively she found the Dickens section and she quickly fingered through the various editions they had. So engrossed in her findings, she didn't hear the footsteps approach, so someone clearing their throat beside her nearly made her cry out in surprise.

Draco Malfoy watched her amusedly as her surprise combined with the weight of her bag caused her to topple over. He chuckled, offering her a hand. Ginny took it hesitantly, glaring at him, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Do you read anything else?" he asked, ignoring her question. He glanced at the section she was previously perusing. "Is it only Dickens you like? Or any classic literature?"

"Anything classic," she said, offhandedly, "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you walk in," he shrugged, "Thought I'd say hi."

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow at him, surprised.

"Really," he said, still looking through the books on the shelf. "I suppose it's good I saw you, I was hoping to buy a book for my mother for Christmas. I'm not sure what she'd like though."

"Tell me about her," Ginny said.

Draco glanced up at her, "And you'll be able to tell me the perfect book for her?" Ginny nodded and he leaned against the wall to watch her. "You continue to surprise me, Weasley."

"Ginny," she said pointedly, "Now, tell me about your mum."

"She's tall, rather thin, blond, like me," he said slowly. "She never had a typical job, but she's good at putting on gatherings and events. She rather enjoys it actually. She can be temperamental but never cruel and humorous, but never crass."

Ginny grabbed a book off the shelf and handed it to him, "She'll like this."

Draco glanced at it, "You're sure."

"Positive."

"You're that good at picking out books?"

"I'm _that _good," she said, giving him a Malfoy smirk.

"I'll let you know if she likes it." Abruptly he turned and headed to the front of the store.

"Merry Christmas," Ginny called after him.

Draco turned, smirked at her and said, "Happy Christmas, Ginny."

–

Ginny truly loved the Burrow at Christmas time. It was the only time of year when her entire family was together. Her parents and grandparents, brothers and their wives and all of her nieces and nephews. Even a few of the adopted Weasley's joined in: Harry, Luna and Neville. They all crammed into the living room and usually spilled out into the dining room. The tree took up so much room that the idea of everyone in the living room was laughable. After everyone had opened their presents and littered the living room with wrapping paper, Ginny put on a pot of tea while everyone else lounged around the house.

Molly bustled into the kitchen, tossing a bit of spice in a pot and sticking her nose in another, "Can I help with dinner at all, Mum?"

"I think it's all taken care of, sweet pea," Molly kissed Ginny's forehead gently. "Thanks for offering."

"Cuppa?" Ginny asked, pouring some tea for herself. Molly nodded appreciatively, taking the warm mug in her hands. The two women sipped in silence for a few minutes, listening to the chatter from the other room.

"I'm glad Percy was able to come this year," Molly said softly, "Seems we don't see him much anymore."

Ginny shrugged, "We're all getting busy with work and family."

"I know," Molly said, "But it would be nice if he dropped by for Sunday dinner every once in a while."

Ginny was about to answer when she heard a soft tapping on the window. She opened it and a small brown owl fluttered in and landed on the counter, shivering. Giggling, she took the letter from him and wrapped a towel around him to dry him off. It was a complete blizzard outside with snow piling up around the house and billowing around the yard. The owl gave a soft hoot of appreciation and hopped closer to her. Smiling she picked it up and held it in her arms as she unwrapped the letter.

_You were right. _

Grinning, Ginny tucked the letter in her pocket and snuggled the owl closer to her. "What is that smile for?" Molly asked, knowingly.

"Nothing," Ginny said, smiling at her. "I helped someone pick out a present and the recipient likes it."

"Was it a book?" Molly asked. Ginny nodded and Molly rolled her eyes, "Of course you were right about a book. Who would doubt that?"

"A new acquaintance," Ginny said, shrugging.

"Hopefully this new acquaintance has learned not to doubt you," Molly chuckled. She gently squeezed her daughter's shoulder and meandered back into the living room.

Ginny turned her attention back on the small owl who was snoring in her arms. She tickled his ear gently and he snuggled tighter against her body. She laughed and followed her mother back into the crowd of people.

–

_I told you._

_Why'd you keep my owl for so long?_

_He was frozen when he arrived and he quickly found a place to sleep on my pillow._

_You let him on the bed? That's why he's been so pushy._

_You don't let him on the bed?_

_ No, he's poultry._

_ He's a pet! What's his name?_

_Melvin. My mum named him. _

–

The one downfall to liking books, Ginny thought, is everyone gets you books for Christmas. She quickly sorted through the pile of books still sitting on her kitchen table a week after Christmas. Dickens, Dickens, Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, something new. She picked up the new book and turned it over in her hands. Betty Smith. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Shrugging, she put it in her bag and headed out the door.

Ginny was lucky to have found her apartment at such a good price. Usually apartments in downtown London were a fortune, but she had a connection with the owner's daughter and he was happy to help her out. Just a few short blocks from her apartment was her favorite little café. She hadn't been back since she had ran into Draco there a few weeks earlier. She told herself it wasn't because she was worried of running into him again, but it was the truth. When she had looked for a local café to frequent, she had hoped to find something off the wall and unique. Though 'North Street Cafe' wasn't a thrilling name for it, her café fit her perfectly.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door, knowing in her heart she wouldn't find him here again. She was wrong. Draco Malfoy was draped over a chair in the corner, one leg hanging playfully over the arm rest. He had a book in his hands and looked younger than she knew him to be. Sighing, she walked over to him and stood, waiting patiently.

A few moments later he looked up from his book at her. "What are the chances?" he asked innocently.

"Are you following me?" she asked.

"No," he said, blatantly, "I was looking for some coffee and just assumed you wouldn't be here again."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Alright," she said slowly. She glanced at his book, "What are you reading?"

He held the book up for her so she could see the title, "Do you approve?"

Ginny shrugged, "Not my favorite, but I suppose I wont banish you."

"What's wrong with it?" he asked incredulously.

"Grimm's Fairy Tails? Nothing," she said offhandedly, "They're just not my favorite."

"There has to be a reason," he said, sitting up and gesturing to the chair next to him.

Ginny sat down and dropped her bag on the floor beside her, "There's no particular reason, I'm just not a fan." She gestured at the waitress who came bustling over.

As she ordered, Draco huffed in disbelief, "Come on, Ginny, there has to be a reason."

"Fine," Ginny sighed as the waitress left with her order, "If you must know. Percy read some of them to me when I was little and I got scared. I haven't been able to get through them since."

"Seriously?" he grinned.

"Yes, now drop it," she demanded, "and wipe that stupid smile off your face. You're scaring me."

He did as he was told and dropped the subject. Ginny ignored him and pulled her own book out of her bag to start reading. She barely noticed when her tea arrived, but she couldn't miss the looks Draco kept giving her. When she had finished the first few pages, her tea had cooled enough for her to sip at. Draco also set down his book to ask, "Any plans for tonight?"

"What's tonight?" Ginny asked, puzzled.

"New Years?" he asked, surprised.

"Oh, right," Ginny shrugged, "Most likely I will stay at home and read. I imagine I'll have to spent time with my dog; he doesn't much care for fireworks."

"Do you do anything besides reading?" he asked.

"Well, I teach," she said slowly, "But we're on winter holiday, so I've had a bit of spare time."

"You teach?" he asked, puzzled. "Teach what?"

"Primary school," she said, sipping her tea.

"As in, Muggle primary school?" he asked, surprised.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all. I just wasn't expecting that," Draco was giving her an odd look. It didn't make Ginny uncomfortable, it was just... odd.

"Most people don't," Ginny said quietly. She ran her fingers through her hair self-consciously. Why was he looking at her like that. "I don't suppose you have children you're looking to put into primary school?" she teased.

"What?" he asked, distracted. He looked down at his hands and then around the café, "Oh, no, of course not. I just –," he paused and looked at her, "I just didn't know you were a teacher."

"Alright," Ginny shrugged. Awkwardly she opened her book again and started to read. She felt his eyes on her for a few minutes before he also started reading again and they fell back into the comfortable silence. Over the next few hours the two exchanged polite conversation, but stayed immersed in their books until the café closed at six. They bundled up in their winter cloaks and walked out together. "Thank you for the tea," Ginny asked, still feeling bad that he had paid for her.

"No problem," he said, shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets, "I owed you after you helped pick out my mother's Christmas present."

"The Great Gatsby," Ginny said, smiling, "You should read it when she's done. You'd like it."

"Maybe I will," he smiled back. He looked rather breathtaking with the snow billowing around him and the street lamp illuminating his hair.

The wind blew Ginny's hair in her face, making her shiver, "Well, I should head home, it's getting cold."

"Of course," Draco nodded, "Can you get home safely? It's kind of late."

"I just live around the corner, I should be fine."

"Alright," he said quietly.

They stood awkwardly under the street lamp together for a few minutes before Ginny finally said, "Ok, I'm going to go."

He nodded and she turned to go, but suddenly he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She collided perfectly with him and one of his hands cupped her cheek while the other wrapped around her waist. "I shouldn't be doing this," Draco said quietly against her lips. Before she could argue with him he kissed her gently. His softness caught Ginny by surprise; it took her a minute to respond. Nervously she kissed him back feeling him smile against her lips.

As suddenly as it had started, it was over. His lips broke away from hers carefully and he looked down at her, his face cast in shadows. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and said softly, "Happy New Years."

"Happy New Years," she whispered back. He smiled at her and let her go before turning to walk down the street away from her. She watched him disappear around a corner and she sighed to herself, muttering, "This is going to be an interesting year."

**A/N:** This will be a fairly short story with only four chapters (one for each season). Any comments would be greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2: Spring

"If we had no winter,

the spring would not be so pleasant"

\- Anne Bradstreet

**SPRING**

The best thing about spring, according to Ginny, was weather nice enough for her to read outside. Yes, on a breezy day at the end of March, she had to bundle up a bit to sit on her porch, but she enjoyed it none the less. Between wool socks, a fleece blanket and a cup of tea, she managed to make herself comfortable. Late one Saturday afternoon, after reading on her porch for hours, she glanced at her watch and sighed. Time to meet Draco.

It seemed to have become their weekly routine. It started as an accident, but it soon became expected and now, every Saturday, promptly at four thirty, she would meet him in their café. Ginny sighed as she pulled herself out of her chair. When had it become _their_ cafe in stead of _her_ cafe? She could pinpoint the exact moment. It had been the fourth or fifth Sunday of their accidental meetings. It was growing late and rather dark so Ginny had expected them to part ways, but to her surprise Draco had asked her if she wanted to do something. Instead of actually doing something together, they argued about what to do until finally Draco had kissed her again. She would never admit it to anyone, but she had been hoping he would. He had only kissed her one other time since then and, just like before, it had been a gently kiss; almost a hesitant kiss.

Ginny pulled some boots on and a jacket before grabbing her book and making her way to the cafe. Draco was already there when she arrived and, to her surprise, a cup of hot mint tea was already waiting for her along with a blueberry muffin. He was draped elegantly on the couch, long legs outstretched in front of him. He was clad in his usual black suit; a scarf draped lazily around his neck. He was biting his lower lip and tapping his foot; two signs he was deeply involved in his book. She chuckled to herself when she saw what he was reading.

"The Great Gatsby," she said as she sat down beside him on the couch.

Draco jumped slightly, "You surprised me."

"Sorry," she smiled apologetically, "Are you enjoying it?"

He glanced at the cover and shrugged, "I guess. How was work this week?"

Ginny shrugged, relaxing back against the couch. Her leg gently bumped his and her heart raced. "It was work. Two of my kids got in a fight on Tuesday, but we quickly settled it over some animal crackers."

Draco chuckled, "I still don't know how you have the patience to teach kids who are so young."

"I grew up with six brothers," Ginny said dryly, "Six year olds aren't much different." She picked up her tea and said, "Thank you for this." She took a sip of it. He smiled and nodded. They both picked up their books and fell into a comfortable silence. Most Saturdays they could sit there for hours. Today was different. After only a few minutes she could feel his eyes on her and she looked up. He smiled cautiously and she smiled back before they both turned back to their books. A few minutes later the same thing happened again and, after the third time Ginny finally set her book down and said, "What?"

"Hm?" Draco asked innocently, "What?"

"Why do you keep looking at me so strangely? Whats wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he said slowly.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," he assured her. Taking his word, she started reading again. Only a moment later he said, "I was just going to ask if you wanted to go for dinner tomorrow night."

Ginny nearly dropped her book, "Dinner?"

"Would that be so bad?" Draco asked, looking slightly offended.

"No, not at all," Ginny said quickly, "I just – I just wasn't expecting you to ask, thats all."

"Oh," Draco paused awkwardly, "Well, do you want to?" Ginny nodded, smiling softly. Relief washed over Draco's face. Had he been nervous, "Great. I'll pick you up at your place at six?" She agreed and once again, they fell into a comfortable silence. This time the silence was lasting and nearly an hour later Ginny finished her book. Setting it down, she glanced up at him. Like before, he was biting his lower lip pensively and tapping his right foot. A strand of his hair had fallen in his face, but he ignored it, too wrapped up in his reading to bother pushing it away. He had opened up since she had first seen him here. His abrasive front had slowly melted and he seemed more comfortable around her. As if sensing her stare he looked up at her, "Everything ok?"

"Yeah," she assured, "I just finished my book, so I think I'm going to head home."

"I'll walk you," he stood up and pulled his jacket on, slipping his book into his pocket. She also pulled her jacket on and they left in silence.

When they got to her door she turned to him, "Tomorrow night. Six."

"Right," he smiled softly. "I'll see you then." Draco turned to walk away, but she caught his elbow. Turning back to her, confused, he started to ask her what was wrong, but she quickly quieted him by kissing him. He froze momentarily, obviously shocked by her actions. He had always been the one instigating the kiss. The soft tugging at his jacket snapped him back to reality and he cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her back, pinning her against the door. When they finally broke apart for air he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "Gods, you're good at that."

Ginny smiled and blushed, "You're not to shabby yourself." Draco grinned down at her before pulling her in to kiss her again.

–

"Tea?" Hermione asked as Ginny sat down on the couch.

"Please," Ginny said.

Hermione poured them both a cup and handed one to Ginny before sitting down next to her on the couch. "So hows Malfoy?" Hermione asked innocently.

Ginny smiled, "He's fine."

"Any more kissing?"

"Lots."

"I wish I could be as daring as you," Hermione sighed. Ginny gave her a puzzled look and Hermione went on, "I mean, I would never have the courage to date someone my family hated so much."

"Wow," Ginny said, setting her tea down, "First, Draco and I aren't dating and second, my family doesn't hate him." Hermione raised her eyebrows, surprised and Ginny sighed, "Ok, they don't like him, but hate is a strong word. They're just –," Ginny paused, "They aren't comfortable with him."

"Because?" Hermione prodded.

Ginny sighed, "Because he was a prat in school and treated them all rather horribly."

"Rather?"

"I get your point!" Ginny groaned, "Herms, it's been over ten years since Hogwarts! Lord knows Harry and Ron have changed. Why can't they see that Draco has changed too?"

Hermione sighed, "Gin, you just need to let your family meet him and let them figure it out themselves. Do they even know?"

"That Draco and I are –," Ginny paused and said slowly, "Involved?" Hermione nodded. "No, but I think Mum suspects something. She was there when I got an owl from him on Christmas and I wouldn't tell her who it was from."

"Somehow I think your mum will be the only one who is accepting of it at first," Hermione said, "You know how she likes to take in strays. She'll make him a Weasley sweater for every Christmas he's missed so far and then bring him a lasagna every week for a year until he gains fifty pounds."

Ginny laughed, "Somehow I can't imagine Draco in a Weasley sweater. I haven't even seen him in anything other than a suit." Hermione chuckled too and they fell into relaxed conversation.

–

For the seventh time Ginny scampered into the bathroom and ran a comb through her hair and wished there was something more she could do with it. Her hair didn't like to do much other than lay straight down her back. She had tried curling it a bit, but it quickly became a disaster. She dabbed a bit of lipstick on her lips and inspected her outfit: a simple knee length skirt with a lacy blouse and cardigan. Sighing, she hoped she wasn't dressed too much like her mother. Last came her high heels and then she sat and waited patiently on the couch. Promptly at six her doorbell rang and she took a deep breath before pulling the door open.

"Hey," she said, smiling nervously.

"Hi," Draco smiled back at her, "These are for you."

Puzzled, she took the obscure package from him and glanced inside. Tea. He had brought her a bouquet of tea. Grinning she said, "Thank you." She set it on the small table next to her door and stepped outside, locking the door behind her. "Where are we going?" she asked as they walked down the street.

"There's a small restaurant a few blocks away, Casa Mia," Draco said, walking gracefully with his hands in his pockets, "I thought we could try it."

"Sounds good." Ginny was surprised with how easily their conversation flowed throughout dinner. They talked about everything from work and family. Hogwarts and books to holidays and sports. By time they actually finished eating it was nearing 9:30 and they still didn't leave for at least another hour.

As they excited the restaurant, Draco gently took her hand in his and smiled down at her. She smiled back and said, "I had a really good time tonight."

"Me too," he said. He took a deep breath, "To be completely honest, I've been wanting to ask you to dinner for weeks, but I was kind of worried you'd say no."

"Draco Malfoy?" Ginny teased, "Scared of rejection?"

"Not scared," Draco protested, "Just a little worried. It's not my fault you'd rather spend time with your books than with me."

"True."

"Thanks," Draco said sarcastically.

Ginny laughed as they arrived at her front door. She turned to him, nervously playing with the front of his jacket, "But maybe that's starting to change."

"You like me better than your books?"

"I said maybe," Ginny said pointedly.

"I'm ok with maybe," Draco said quietly. He took her hands in his and slid them around his shoulders before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in to kiss her deeply. She kissed him back, pressing her body tightly against his.

When they broke apart she took a deep breath and asked softly, "Do you want to come in?"

–

**A/N**: Read and respond as you see fit.


	3. Chapter 3: Summer

"One benefit of Summer was that each day

we had more light to read by."

Jeanette Walls

SUMMER

Ginny shifted in her sleep, sighing as she felt the gentle breeze from the open window billow down her back, over her thighs and to her feet. She groaned and pulled the sheet tighter around her, ignoring the soft tinkle of wind chimes trying to wake her up. Try as she might, between the wind chimes and birds outside, she couldn't get back to sleep. Glancing up at the clock she resisted another groan. How could it only be 7:30 in the morning?

Rolling over, she smiled softly and relaxed back against her pillow. Draco was not an attractive sleeper. He was sprawled on his back, one leg hanging over the edge of the bed. His hair was tousled in his face and his mouth hung open as he snored softly. Ginny carefully scooted closer to him and curled up against his side. He woke up abruptly grunting, "Huh? What – oh –," he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, using his other hand to cover his eyes. "Mornin'."

Ginny hummed softly in response, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat against the side of her face. The delicate blue curtains danced in the breeze again.

"What time is it?" Draco asked, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

"About 7:30," Ginny said, not moving. She had grown rather fond of waking up naked with him. It had only been three months since their first date and, even though they hadn't even broached the topic of an official relationship, she had become quite attached to him. Even though he could be a prat.

"Stay for breakfast?" Draco asked. Ginny nodded and he gently skimmed his hand up and down her lower back, "I don't have to be at that meeting until two."

"I really wish you didn't have to work on the weekends," Ginny said quietly.

"I know, love," Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "If I could, I would take the weekend off, but it's a transition period between my father and me and these weekend meetings seem to help things run a little smoother."

"I know," Ginny sighed, "I'm just being selfish. I'd rather spend all weekend in bed with you."

Draco grinned mischievously, "I'm sure I can stay for a little of that." He pulled her tightly against him and kissed her deeply. "I love waking up naked with you," he murmured, letting his hands roam freely over her body.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Ginny mumbled. She threw one leg over him to straddle his waist.

"Four months ago, if you had told me how amazing this would be, I wouldn't have believed you for a second," Draco said, smoothly, groaning slightly as she slowly pivoted her hips against him. "But, to my surprise, you, Ginny Weasley, are a sex kitten," he finished matter-of-factly.

Ginny laughed and leaned down to kiss his neck gently, "You have no idea."

–

A few hours later Ginny poured them each a cup of coffee and joined him at his dining room table. "Thanks," Draco muttered, kissing her gently, before returning to his in-depth reading of the Daily Prophet. Ginny smiled softly and quickly got to making them breakfast. They took turns, although his turn seemed to miraculously come around more often than hers. He had surprised her by refusing to own house elves, but she didn't mind. He was a great cook and he had their breakfast routine almost down to a tee. However, this particular morning held some interesting surprises.

Halfway through eating their eggs and toast, the fireplace in Draco's dining room flared up, catching both of them off guard. Narcissa Malfoy's head appeared in the fireplace and she said, "Good morning, Draco dear, I was wondering if you were still planning on coming to –," she froze, seeing Ginny at the dining table clad only in Draco's button up shirt from the day before.

"Mother!" Draco exclaimed.

"Lucius!" Narcissa yelled.

"Draco," Ginny said, worriedly, doing her best to cover herself.

"Mother, what are you doing here this early in the morning?" Draco asked defensively.

"I just assumed that you'd be alone!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"He wasn't alone?" Lucius' voice said from behind Narcissa.

"Don't let Father see us like this!" Draco demanded. "Please. Let us go change. Why don't you two come over in fifteen minutes and we can talk about this."

"Fine," Narcissa said, instantly disappearing from the fireplace. Ginny rushed up to Draco's room and he followed.

"I know I left some spare clothes here!" she said nervously.

"They're in the closet," Draco said, pulling clothes out of the wardrobe. Ginny pulled on a bra and shirt before running a comb through her hair and pulling it back into a braid. When she had finished she found Draco slowly buttoning his shirt.

"Tell me honestly," she said seriously, "Is your mum going to murder me?"

Draco chuckled, "No, she's not. She might interrogate you a bit and try and scare you, but she will be the first to admit she has been pressuring me to start dating, so she can't complain."

"Well, I don't imagine she had planned on meeting me while I was nude in your kitchen," Ginny said sarcastically, tugging her jeans on.

"Relax," Draco said softly, pulling her close so he could hug her, "They'll be fine."

He was partially right.

When Narcissa and Lucius finally came through the fireplace, Draco and Ginny were waiting patiently in the living room.

"Sorry we're late," Narcissa said anxiously. She thrust a pie into Ginny's hands, "I got a bit nervous, so I bought a pie."

Draco, who had stood up when they arrived, extending a hand to Lucius, "Father. It's good to see you."

"Of course," Lucius shook Draco's hand awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

"Draco, dear, it's good to see you," Narcissa hugged her son close and kissed his cheek.

Draco took Ginny's hand gently and said, "Ginny, these are my parents, Lucius and Narcissa. I'm sure you've met them in passing before."

"Of course," Ginny smiled at them shyly.

"Mother, Father, this is Ginny Weasley," Draco gently steered Ginny closer to his parents.

Narcissa eyed Ginny carefully, before her face broke into a grin, "Oh, darling, you are simply adorable," She hugged Ginny, catching her off guard. "I can't tell you how long it's been since Draco brought a woman home." She glared up at her son, "Too long, if you ask me."

"Narcissa," Lucius sighed, "Leave the boy alone. He's had more important things to worry about than dating."

"Lucius, he is nearing an age where he needs to be thinking about a family," Narcissa scolded, "I can nag if I want to."

"Of course you can, my dear," Lucius smiled down at her and Ginny had to resist the urge to gape at them. Of course she knew who the Malfoys were. She had seen them both at numerous ministry functions and other events, but it had never occurred to her that they were _people_. Not to mention the fact that they were obviously in love. Her brothers always joked about getting stuck married to Lucius Malfoy, but, by the look on Narcissa's face, Ginny could tell she truly loved him.

"Draco, darling," Narcissa said lovingly, "Would you mind fetching a few plates for that pie? I don't want it to go bad."

"Of course, Mother," Draco took the pie from Ginny and left the living room, leaving her alone with his parents.

"Sit, please," Narcissa said, pulling Ginny with her to sit on the couch. "Tell me all about yourself, darling. What do you do? It has been ages since we met a woman in Draco's life. How long have you been seeing each other?"

"Narcissa," Lucius warned, moving to sit in a chair across from them.

"I know, I know," Narcissa waved him off. "I'm not meddling, I am just asking." She turned to look at Ginny, expectantly.

"Well," Ginny cleared her throat nervously, "I am currently teaching at a Muggle primary school in London and – um – I believe we went on our first date about three months ago."

"Our first date was March 29th," Draco said, pushing the door open; his butler, Harold, followed, holding a silver platter with the pie and four plates. Draco sat next to Ginny on the couch, settled the silver platter on the coffee table, and began slicing the pie.

"Three months!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Draco, why haven't you brought her to meet us sooner?

"Narcissa," Lucius sighed, "You remember what it was like to be young and in love. They are just enjoying their time together."

"Still," Narcissa huffed. "You could have at least mentioned her to us," she nagged Draco before taking a slice of pie from him. "Now, you'll have to tell me what you think of this pie. It's from this new bakery close to the manor."

Draco handed Ginny a slice of pie and kissed her cheek gently.

–

Nine o'clock found Ginny curled up on the balcony of Draco's apartment, reading a book. Shortly before they met, he had bought a two-story penthouse apartment in downtown London and Ginny could spend hours on the balcony reading and watching the life below her. She heard the fireplace in the living room flare up, signaling Draco's return from work. Closing her eyes, she listened to him moving around the apartment. A moment later he joined her on the porch, setting a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table.

"My mother loves you," Draco said, stripping off his jacket and undoing his tie.

"She was quite nice," Ginny agreed, leaning up to kiss him. "Your father is a bit on the scary side though."

Draco chuckled, "Once he gets to know you, he'll relax." He sat down next to her at the table and uncorked the wine. "Was meeting them as awful as you thought it would be?"

"I never thought it was going to be awful," Ginny said pointedly, crawling out of her chair and into his lap. She gently played with the hair at the nape of his neck, "I was just nervous. It's not every day you meet the man you've been terrified of since your first year at Hogwarts."

"I know," Draco kissed her temple. The soft stubble from his chin brushed her cheek, making her shiver.

"After you left for work, your mum insisted we come by for dinner next weekend."

"I'll make sure Alice adds it to my schedule," Draco leaned forward to pour a glass of wine before sipping it carefully.

"Do you know what this means?" Ginny asked, kissing his neck gently.

He hummed in response, tilting his head away so she could unbutton his shirt.

She leaned up to his ear and whispered teasingly, "Now you have to meet my parents."

–

"It's just weird," Ron said, taking a deep breath. "I mean, one minute you're single and happy and the next," he paused, "You're involved with... him."

Ginny laughed, setting her drink down on the patio table, "You can call him Draco."

"I _really_ can't," Ron admitted, "I might vomit." Ginny laughed again, glad to spend time with her brothers. Fred, Charlie and Ron had stopped by her place for an impromptu visit. The summer weather was perfect, allowing them to pile out onto her small patio.

"Give him a break, Ron," Fred said, taking a sip of his beer, "You all said the same things about Pansy, but you all grew to like her."

"Sometimes I think Mum likes her better than she likes me," Charlie said begrudgingly, also taking a drink.

"I know," Ron said awkwardly, "But it's Malfoy! Aren't we supposed to hate him? It's practically a genetic hatred. What happened to you Ginny?" he huffed, "Maybe you're adopted."

"That would explain a lot," Ginny said, dryly.

"Oh, you two," Charlie said, smiling, "Gin, you know you love us and Ron, you know you're happy she's happy."

They both grunted in agreement and the four fell into a comfortable silence. Ginny had always felt a particular closeness with these three. Ron and she had always been close because of their age and Fred always seemed to have a soft spot for Ginny. Charlie, on the other hand, took Ginny under his wing since he was so much older than her, helping her survive being the only female Weasley. Ginny smiled as she looked around at them, Charlie was half asleep in his chair and Fred was distracted with peeling the label off his bottle. Ron seemed uncomfortable and looked like he was sitting on something rather pointy.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"It just occurred to me," Ron said, looking like he was truly going to throw up, "You said the Malfoys found you in his kitchen practically naked. That means you two have –," he paused, unable to finish his sentence.

"Ew!" Fred exclaimed, almost dropping his drink.

"Ginny! Gross!" Charlie did drop his drink, trying to plug his ears and cover his eyes at the same time.

"My baby sister," Ron moaned.

Ginny burst out laughing, "Ron! You didn't have to bring it up!" Ron dropped his head on the table, making her laugh even harder.

"So, Dad didn't kill him?" Fred asked, smirking at her.

"I think the thought crossed his mind," Ginny offered, "But when he heard how inviting and accepting Draco's parents were, he got a bit competitive and welcomed Draco like a long lost son."

"Now _that_ I would have paid to see," Charlie chuckled.

–

A few hours later, after all three of them had left, Ginny climbed into bed, turning off the light. Only a few minutes later she heard a soft 'pop' and she felt Draco sit down next to her. "You awake?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I just laid down," Ginny sat up, "Are you ok?"

Draco smiled and nodded, "I'm fine. Just haven't seen you all day." Ginny grinned back and pulled him down to the bed where she immediately began unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed her deeply, helping her push his shirt off his shoulders before tossing it on the floor. He easily pulled her nightgown up her body and over her head. Ginny made quick work of his belt and he quickly kicked off his trousers before kissing the soft spot behind her ear.

"Draco," she said hesitantly. He pulled back to look at her. The light from the street lamp outside flooded through the window, casting his face in shadows. "I-I," she paused and cleared her throat, "I love you."

He grinned and tucked her hair out of her face before gently touching her cheek, "I love you too."


	4. Chapter 4: Autumn

"_Nothing dies as beautifully as autumn."_

Ashlee Willis

AUTUMN

§

_Ginevra Weasley,_

_ I have not heard from you in weeks or seen you in over a month. Do try and stop by this week. Your father and I would love to spend time with you before we leave for Egypt next week._

_ Love, _

_ Mum._

_§_

Ginny quickly rushed out of work and tucked her scarf snugly against her neck. The wind flooded against her, sending the leaves at her feet dancing across the sidewalk. She pulled her coat tighter around her body and hurried across the street. A few blocks over, she darted into the café, shivering as the last of the fall air melted away and the warmth enveloped her.

Glancing around, she tried to spot Draco amongst the hoards of people in the café. Suddenly arms snuck around her waist and she grinned as Draco planted a soft kiss on her temple, "Hi, love."

"Hey," Ginny turned in his arms so she could kiss him deeply.

An older couple next to them chuckled softly and the woman said, "Young love."

Ginny felt Draco smile against her lips as the older couple walked away. "How was work?" he asked, steering her towards a recently vacated table in the corner.

She grinned, "It was good. I just adore my kids this year."

"Good, I'm glad," Draco waved the waitress over and ordered their usuals. He leaned across the table and took her hands, "I missed you this morning."

"I know. I wish I could have stayed," Ginny played with one of his large hands, smiling softly, "But I have to go home sometimes or it's pointless for me to be paying rent. Not to mention it's much closer to work."

"Maybe I'll just have to stay at your place more often," he kissed her knuckles gently. Ginny still found it hard to believe that even the innocent contact of his lips to her hand made her head spin and a soft heat pool in her stomach. Their drinks arrived and he took a sip. "Or," he added, looking at her over the rim of his cup, "We could move in together."

Mid-drink, Ginny's eyebrows shot up. She swallowed the tea and coughed out, "Really?"

"Yeah," Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "We could find a nice flat between your school and my office with a few bedrooms and a great view," he kissed her inner wrist; letting his lips graze gently against the spot where her pulse had started racing. "And of course, a library for all your books."

"And a balcony?" she asked.

"Of course. How could I forget?" he grinned at her and leaned across the table to kiss her gently, "I want to wake up with you every morning and come home with you at night."

"Alright," Ginny said softly.

"Wonderful!" Draco kissed her again before grabbing a newspaper from the next table and leafing through the real estate listings.

Glancing at his watch, she started tugging her jacket back on, "I have to run home before dinner with my parents this evening. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I have to go back to the office and get some paperwork done," Draco said apologetically.

"Well, I'll come by your place after I'm done," she kissed him gently and he squeezed her hand before she left.

§

After getting home, Ginny pulled a brush through her hair and changed out of her work clothes before pulling on a pair of boots and hurrying to the fireplace to floo to the Burrow. It seemed she barely had time to catch her breath lately. Since school had started for the fall, she had been busy meeting her new students and planning for the year. On top of work and her relationship with Draco, she hadn't had much time to visit her parents.

Immediately after she stepped out of the fireplace, Molly rushed over and hugged her, not minding the fine coat of soot that had coated Ginny.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Molly squeezed her tightly, "I have missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mum," Ginny said, honestly, hugging her mother.

"Your father is running late at work," Molly said, returning to the kitchen, "But he should be home shortly. We're having lasagna. Your favorite!"

"Sounds wonderful, Mum," Ginny said, smiling. She pulled out a chair at the dining room table and sat down to fold napkins for dinner.

"How's work?" Molly called from the kitchen.

"Fine," Ginny called back, "Busy, but I have a good group of kids this year."

"Of course. And how is Draco?"

Ginny paused before answering, "He's good."

When she didn't elaborate, Molly poked her head out of the kitchen, "Is everything ok with you two, dear?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Ginny said, forcing a smile.

Molly came over to sit next to her, "What's going on Ginny?" She continued to peel apples for a pie.

Ginny sighed, "It's nothing, Mum. We've both just been busy and stressed."

It was Molly's turn to pause before speaking, "You've been together quite some time." Ginny nodded, not looking up from her napkin. "Have you talked about your relationship at all?"

"Not much," Ginny shrugged, "Today we talked about moving in together."

"Well, that is certainly a big step," Molly said casually, obviously trying not to pry.

Ginny hummed in agreement, "Draco started looking at adverts this afternoon."

Molly hesitated before saying, "And how do you feel about it?"

Ginny thought about it for a minute and couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips, "Good. I love him, Mum."

"In that case, congratulations, sweetie," Molly kissed her cheek gently. "You tell Draco that if he plans on being a part of this family, you both need to start attending Sunday dinners regularly."

Ginny chuckled, "I'll see what I can do, Mum."

§

"How was dinner?" Draco asked as Ginny entered his bedroom; he was sitting up in bed, book in hand. Ginny had been amazed the first time she saw his room. Large bookshelves lined the walls and were stacked with books. The floor to ceiling windows let the late evening sun stream in the room.

"It was good," Ginny set her bag on a chair and hung her jacket up in the closet. "You should have come with me," she smiled at him over her shoulder, "My parents asked how you were doing."

"I hope you told them I'm doing fine," Draco set his book down and extended a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her onto the bed with him. He kissed her gently, "We wouldn't want them worrying about me."

Ginny laughed, "I told them you were busy with work, but you would come next time."

"I'm sure I can make that work," Draco kissed her again and she kissed him back.

When she pulled away, he looked at her, confused. "I think I'm going to take a shower," she explained.

"Ok," he said, still looking confused. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, sitting up. She grabbed a robe out of the closet and walked into the bathroom, noticing him following her. "Truly, I'm fine." She turned the shower on and turned to face him, "I promise."

"If you say so," Draco kissed her.

She smiled against his lips, "Do you want to join me in the shower?"

"I thought you'd never ask," he grinned.

§

Ginny sighed and leaned back against him, letting the water cascade over their naked bodies. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. "I'm tired," she said softly.

"I know," Draco said, sympathetically, "I found a few apartments for us to look at this weekend if you have some time."

"Sounds good." Taking a deep breath, Ginny slowly continued, "My mum asked about our relationship today."

"How so?" Draco asked sounding concerned.

Ginny turned to face him, but kept her gaze down, nervously playing with one of his hands, "She just asked me where we were and if we'd talked about our future at all."

Draco tilted her chin up with his other hand and she was surprised to see a soft smile on his face, "Ginny, I love you. That's my future."

Ginny smiled back at him and kissed him, "You're my future too." She turned around again and leaned back against him.

He cleared his throat cautiously before saying, "Although," Ginny glanced up at him over her shoulder, confused, "You should know -," he paused and sighed, "I don't want to get married." Ginny didn't say anything. "It's not you," Draco went on. He turned her so she would look at him. "I just never felt the urge to get married. We can move in together and live our lives together, but I don't want to get married."

"Ok," Ginny said slowly. She reached over and turned the shower off before grabbing her towel and stepping out. Draco followed suit, quickly drying his hair and wrapping the towel around his waist.

"Ginny," he grabbed her elbow as she walked out of the bathroom, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ginny forced a smile. How many times had she said that today? She had lost count. She took her elbow out of his grasp and walked into the bedroom. He followed her and perched on the bed, watching her closely. She pulled open his dresser drawer and grabbed one of his old t-shirts to sleep in. Tugging it over her head, she finally turned to look at him. "What about kids?"

"What about them?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Do you want any?"

Draco sighed and combed his fingers through his damp hair, looking away from her. "Not particularly?"

"Is that a question?" Ginny asked, starting to get upset.

"No," Draco said quickly, he stood up and approached her, "It's an 'I don't know.'"

"You don't know?"

"No, I don't, Ginny," his temper started to rise, "I really hadn't given it much thought until now. I haven't been in a serious relationship in years, so I accepted the fact that I probably wouldn't have children. I'm ok with that."

"And what if I'm not?!" Ginny asked incredulously.

"That's why I said I don't know!" Draco exclaimed. "Why are we even talking about this? We're not even close to the point in our relationship that we should be worrying about this!"

"Not close?" Ginny sighed, "We're talking about moving in together. Draco, if you say you want to spend your life with me, I deserve to know what that entails."

Draco let out a frustrated sigh, "Well, I don't know what to tell you, Gin." They stared at each other for a while, both angry and hurt. Finally Draco took a deep breath and said, "Can we sleep on this for now and talk about it tomorrow?"

"I guess," Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't know if there's much more for us to talk about."

"Ginny," Draco grabbed her shoulders, "I love you. I can't even remember the last person I said that to other than my parents. You are the best thing in my life and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you. Isn't that enough?"

Ginny stared up at him, tears in her eyes. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat before croaking, "I don't know."

Fear crossed Draco's eyes and he roughly pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She returned the kiss, flinging her arms around his neck and ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks. He tugged at her shirt roughly and she broke the kiss only long enough for him to pull it over her head. She yanked his towel off before they collapsed on the bed together.

§

"Talk to me," Charlie said softly, handing Ginny a beer before sitting next to her at the table on her patio.

She took a few sips before saying, "I don't know if Draco and I have a future together."

"What? Why?" Charlie asked, surprised, "You two seem happy together."

"Draco doesn't want to get married. Ever." Ginny paused to take another drink, "And he doesn't want kids."

"And you do?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know," Ginny sighed, "I guess I always assumed I'd have kids. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't, so I never really gave it much thought."

"So why are you so upset?"

"I feel like he's making me choose," Ginny felt the tears start to come to her eyes again. "If I stay with him, I'll never get married or have children," she paused. "But I love him so much. He is a part of me now." Charlie didn't say anything, just hugged her and let her cry against his shoulder. "What do I do?" Ginny sobbed.

§

"Hey, Herms," Ginny called as she stepped out of the fireplace into Ron and Hermione's living room.

"Hey, Gin. Make yourself comfortable," Hermione called from the bedroom. Ginny made her way to the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove for tea. She pulled together mugs, biscuits and tea and set it on the table before Hermione appeared in the doorway. "I haven't seen you in quite a while," Hermione hugged her, "How are you doing?"

"Honestly," Ginny sighed, "I have been better." The two women sat at the table, waiting for the water to boil. Hermione waited patiently for Ginny to continue. "Draco and I had 'the talk', you might say."

"And?" Hermione asked.

"We've decided to move in together," Ginny said happily. Before Hermione could get excited Ginny added, "But Draco also told me that he doesn't want to get married and isn't sure if he wants to have kids."

"Wow," Hermione said, shock plastered across her face, "That's-," she paused and repeated, "Wow."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, rising to take the boiling water off the stovetop. She poured their cups of tea and took them to the table where Hermione still sat in quiet surprise.

After sipping their tea in silence for a while, Hermione finally said, "I would have thought Draco would have wanted to keep the Malfoy bloodline going. Isn't his family all about pureblood pride?"

"I know they used to be during the war," Ginny shrugged, "He hasn't ever mentioned anything like that to me. Maybe he's old enough that his parents just want him to be happy." Ginny inhaled, "Tell me honestly, Hermione. Would you be as happy if you and Ron decided to not have kids?"

Hermione sighed, "I don't know Gin -," Ginny cut her off.

"Tell me."

"No, I don't think I would be as happy," Hermione admitted, "But I was in a different place in life than you are." She bit her lip nervously, "Truthfully, I don't think our marriage would have survived if we didn't have the kids. They gave us a reason to keep loving each other." Ginny didn't say anything as her eyes filled with tears, "But Ginny, you and Draco aren't Ron and me. Our relationship had a rocky start during the war and we'd been friends for such a long time. We needed something to keep us together and the kids have been wonderful. I wouldn't change a thing. But you and Draco are completely different."

"You don't know that!" Ginny exclaimed, wiping tears off her cheeks, "How do I know that I wont regret it in ten years? Or twenty years? How do I know I wont resent Draco for not giving me children? Or what if we have kids and Draco never accepts them?"

"Ginny, calm down," Hermione touched her arm. "Do you really think Draco would do that? Ginny, you know him. You love him. You need to have faith that he loves you too."

§

It felt like months since she had been to their café. In reality they had been there only one week prior, but after the events of the last few days, Ginny felt time had gone awry. Draco was still in his suit from work when she got there. They had agreed to meet there at two, and, even though she was early, he always beat her there. He already had a book out, she couldn't see the title, but he was engrossed in it. She smiled faintly as she saw him bite his bottom lip in concentration.

Ginny slowly walked over and sat across from him, noticing her usual cup of peppermint tea steaming on the table next to his cup of black coffee. He looked up at her, surprised by her presence, but smiled when he saw it was her.

"Hi," she said.

He reached across the table and took one of her hands before bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles, "Hi."

"How was work?" she asked.

"It was fine," he shrugged.

"Draco -," she started, but stopped when he said, "Ginny -," at the same time.

They both laughed. "You go first," he said, squeezing her hand.

She sighed and took both of his hands in hers, "I've been thinking a lot about our conversation the other night." He nodded, but didn't speak. Ginny paused and looked at him.

Draco was everything she had wanted in a man. He supported her and made her laugh. He could simultaneously make her angry and weak in the knees, a feat she had yet to understand. Draco taught her how to laugh while having sex, after the time Ginny had accidentally elbowed him in the face and bloodied his nose. He showed her how to make scrambled eggs and had even visited her classroom when her students had insisted she participate in show-and-tell. He had surprised her mother with her favorite, expensive, brand of tea for her birthday. Draco had taken Ginny with him when he visited his parents so he could show her parts of his childhood. He loved her and he made sure she knew it.

But could she give up marriage and children for him?

"Draco," Ginny started. She sighed and grasped his hands; "You know I love you, right?"

§

"_I am happy to experience the beauty of each season;_

_spring time, summer, autumn and winter."_

Lailah Gifty Akita

**Fin.**


End file.
